the Ferret
Road warrior
Thread starter
Have wanted to test ride one of these for a couple of years. Today I got the opportunity.
electrifying test ride
- Thread starter the Ferret
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the Ferret
Road warrior
Thread starter
well, it was strange and cool at the same time. The dealer rolled it out and turned the key and said "OK, it's running". I looked at it like what's running? There was no noise. There was no vibrations. It was just sitting there totally silent. seemingly dead to the world. He explained the two modes..eco and sport. Suggested I ride a loop of their test route in eco to get used to it. Then run a second loop in sport. No clutch, no gears, belt drive. Twist the right grip and it silently moves out. Brakes are in the normal places. First stop sign I come to I squeeze the brakes, it comes to a stop, and I thought "it died". I mean there is no sensation that the thing is alive. There is no tachometer. Just silence. I twisted the grip and it took off again. I go several blocks, and slow to turn right and notice there is no compression braking, so use the brakes, signal my turn (all switches are normal like ours) make the turn, cancel the t/s, then give it some gas. Throttle response is instantaneous. Woosh, and I watch the big digital speedo climb. Pretty soon another stop sign. Now used to the dying feeling, it doesn't freak me out anymore lol. Twist the throttle again and woosh jetting right along. After a few more miles and a few more turns I am back at the shop. He is waiting outside. "Whatcha think?" I tell him. He says "ok take another loop in sport mode and really give the gas when you get up around the corner...and hold on". So I push the button to put it in the sport mode, take off, go up around the corner and hammer it. Wholey moley, this thing accelerates very quickly, very quickly. Pretty soon I am back at the shop again.
We stand there and talk about the bike awhile. I told him it was realy cool, and that I had a great time, although the suspension was jarring. He answered all my questions. Battery life is 400,000 miles. It would take a whole day to change out a battery pack, but he has been a Zero dealer since 2012 and hasn't had to do that yet. He asked if it was something I would buy. I said at $6K we would probably be talking. At $15K no chance.
For me the limited range would be the buggaboo. It has a range of 100 miles at low speeds. It was 160 miles round trip for me to go test ride it.lol
If you ever get an opportunity to test ride one, it is something you should jump at the opportunity to do , if nothing else for the experience. I'm afraid some day, maybe when my son is my age, it's going to be the only thing available I'm afraid, and it won't be so bad after all. Riding is still riding and it beats being inside a Prius.
We stand there and talk about the bike awhile. I told him it was realy cool, and that I had a great time, although the suspension was jarring. He answered all my questions. Battery life is 400,000 miles. It would take a whole day to change out a battery pack, but he has been a Zero dealer since 2012 and hasn't had to do that yet. He asked if it was something I would buy. I said at $6K we would probably be talking. At $15K no chance.
For me the limited range would be the buggaboo. It has a range of 100 miles at low speeds. It was 160 miles round trip for me to go test ride it.lol
If you ever get an opportunity to test ride one, it is something you should jump at the opportunity to do , if nothing else for the experience. I'm afraid some day, maybe when my son is my age, it's going to be the only thing available I'm afraid, and it won't be so bad after all. Riding is still riding and it beats being inside a Prius.
emptysea
Road warrior
Never thought about the inability to downshift to slow the bike. More brake into the turn and trail braking seems like musts if you're trying to get around a curve quick like, right?
redbirds_imp
Road warrior
Not enough battery power for any of my normal rides. I'm not interested at any price.
The train of electrically powered, self driving vehicles is gathering momentum. I have no real fear of the electric bit as the problem of distance will be sorted before they become too popular. It's the self-driving bit that scares me. I fear I'll live long enough to see it!
Retsel_imp
Been there
In a lot of cases I would rather have an intelligent car driving instead of some of the brainless I see behind the wheel! Just yesterday I was cut off, at a busy intersection, by a young women staring at her cell phone and not seeing what was going on around her. As far as the electric bike, great write up Ferret! I assume we will reach the point where a hybrid bike will be feasible providing range while eliminating the long charge cycles. I'm still a young 66 and plan to be around to see it! I gots to test drive one of those electrics. There is one in town and it is supper quite! I think I'd put playing cards in the spokes just so people will know I'm coming!Cormanus_imp said:
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Wisedrum
Road warrior
Nothing can beat a ride inside a Prius, only another ride in a Prius.The ferret_imp said:
I know what I'm writing about, about a car in a class of its own.
I own one.
As a hybrid it's not limited in range and can drive unlimited miles, so it will be miles ahead.
But who ever wants to compare a motorbilke to a car......
Wisedrum
I've said on this forum before that, when the so-called intelligent car (or driverless vehicle) becomes seriously operational, it will be be the end of human drivers. These computers'll be so good compared to their human counterparts that we'll be a liability and will no longer be allowed on the road. Particularly in cities. In that scenario, it is hard to see that motorcycles will be allowed either. We'll just have to hope that us tragics who want to drive ourselves will have space set aside for us to do so.
Make the most of it fellas.
Make the most of it fellas.
4 Paws_imp
Road warrior
I'd love to have an electric bike as a grocery getter or to commute to and from work - if I still worked. Don't know why but the idea appeals to me. Price and range anxiety will keep me from ever seriously considering one. Found a small company in WV that manufactures a variety to small electric bikes, hope to visit on a nice sunny day when the CB points in their direction.
My prediction is that because the technology of batteries is improving all the time there will be more and more pressure for electric vehicles. That means there will be more pressure to solve the range problem given that it seems likely charging will continue to take quite a while.
The solution is relatively simple if government is prepared to get behind it: mandating a limited number of batteries for use in vehicles and requiring that it be really easy to swap them out. Battery stations will then begin to replace petrol stations or petrol stations will stock batteries that they can charge and then swap for customers. You pull into the station and replace a flattened battery with a charged one and head on.
The solution is relatively simple if government is prepared to get behind it: mandating a limited number of batteries for use in vehicles and requiring that it be really easy to swap them out. Battery stations will then begin to replace petrol stations or petrol stations will stock batteries that they can charge and then swap for customers. You pull into the station and replace a flattened battery with a charged one and head on.
flynrider
Road warrior
I believe that will be the case. The biggest problem for driverless car technology is not detecting other cars or road hazards. It is trying to anticipate the actions of the most unpredictable thing on earth. A human.Cormanus_imp said:
Once you take humans out of the equation, it's relatively easy to network all of the cars together to safely run down a highway at 75 MPH with 10 ft. spacing. Imagine how that would impact the clogged freeways around large cities. That will be the driving force (pun intended) to abolish human drivers.
BTW, a few months ago my CB and I were stopped at a traffic light downtown when an Uber driverless car pulled up in the lane next to me. It's coming!
the Ferret
Road warrior
Thread starter
Lol it would be driverless pick-ups in my part of the country
Retsel_imp
Been there
There will be virtual reality!Cormanus_imp said:
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dang, that sounds like some sick sci-fi movie...and the more I think about it, the more I could see it happening. ...Cormanus_imp said:
Imagine, a human driven car vs inteli-car fender bender...wait for the police to arrive? Not necessary! The inteli-car performs an immediate analysis of the accident and performs a self check for damage. You simply tap your i-phone on the inteli-car's windshield, and not only have you just paid your fine, but the damage to the inteli-car as well! Insurance? Forget about it! They only offer policies with $5,000 deductibles as human driven cars are just too risky.
rotor
Been there
The battery technology is improving, but in too small increments to be of practical value for transportation. If it did, rail transportation systems that would have no problem standardizing the battery and setting swap-statins would long ago migrate to it.Cormanus_imp said:
Quote:The solution is relatively simple if government is prepared to get behind it: mandating a limited number of batteries for use in vehicles and requiring that it be really easy to swap them out. Battery stations will then begin to replace petrol stations or petrol stations will stock batteries that they can charge and then swap for customers. You pull into the station and replace a flattened battery with a charged one and head on.
No government is likely to do that. Why? Because the aforementioned incremental improvements in the battery technology. It is obvious that the battery technology has a long way to go if the vehicle range problem is to be solved, and standardizing the battery would be detrimental to the progress of the battery technology.
Reversible electro-chemical process as the method of storing energy in a moving vehicle is a fad, not a long-term transportation solution. One of these days there will be a clean-burning (or -decaying) solid "fuel" that will lend itself to the creation of a distribution and storage system similar to the present day liquid hydrocarbon system, but more efficient and creating less particulate pollution. It would also have to be economically competitive to hydrocarbon fuel. (What again is the cost of a Tesla car? Before the $18K apiece that is subsidized by tax-payers and naive investors!)
We will know that the revolution in transportation is imminent when we see railways switching to new technology.
josiah.hurt_imp
First service completed
This seems like a bike made specifically for a purpose (small errands) that's completely contrary to what I believe is the soul purpose of a bike. To be out on the open road and enjoy it! Wouldn't buy at any price.
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dsan1964_imp
Been there
From a "Hero" to a "Zero".
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